


Total Nerd

by Choke-a-Bro (Vanya_Deyja)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Vignette, brotherhood era, pre game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21521350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanya_Deyja/pseuds/Choke-a-Bro
Summary: Noctis is fourteen and he just wants to go to one stupid little convention. Prompto's convinced if they just went in costume it'd be fine. The adults debate.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 91





	Total Nerd

Noctis is a complete and utter fanboy. Math? Eh, no thank you. Science? Maybe a little. Video games? Comics? Cosplay? Roleplaying? Yes, yes and _yes_.

Prompto’s pretty great because he’s into the same fandoms as Noctis but he’s not the sort to really get into character or spend twelve hours on a cosplay. Prompto gets enthusiastic though and he’s supportive and most of the time that’s enough. Luna meanwhile loves dorky shit with the kind of religious earnestness that gives Noctis life. In their secret correspondence she encourages him to do all sorts of things. Magical secret letters sent via the dog delivery postal service is a slow form of communication but the empire would read text messages between them, nothing surer, so Noctis has to take the sporadic pep talks as best he can. Luna’s excited currently because her favorite light novel is being adapted into an animated series and on the day it releases in Lucius Noctis can’t seem to escape the commercials or posters or internet pop up adds. It makes it hard not to miss her…

Prompto, sensing his best friend is down, tries to lighten the mood. They’re only fourteen at this point but they’ve been friends for close to a year which is long enough for Ignis and Gladiolus to decide Prompto’s not an imperial spy. This means Noctis is allowed to go to the arcade with Prompto and then bring him back to his apartment. When the reach the apartment Noctis votes to order pizza which entails calling the pizza place and calling his security to warn them the delivery is coming. It’s not until they’re on the couch with soda that Prompto whips out the website on his phone.

“Hey, have you seen this?” Prompto asks, shoving the phone under Noctis’ nose.

“Huh?” Noctis takes the cell to scroll through the website. It’s for the annual Insomnia pop culture expo. “Oh man…” His mood only nose dives further. “Yeah, I’m never allowed to go. Security nightmare. I really want to though…”

“Well, never fear,” Prompto declares, “I was thinking about it; we’ll take you undercover.”

“What do you mean?”

“We go in cosplay!” Prompto supposes. “No one will recognize you in a fully decked out costume. You can get your dork on and we can eat over priced convention food and buy bad fan made posters. It’ll be awesome.”

“They’ll never let me go,” Noctis pouts. “There’s too many people. I’d need a security team and that draws attention and drawing attention means—Look, it’s a whole thing, I can hear Ignis now.”

“Pft,” Prompto scoffs, “just tell Ignis and Gladio to come with you. If they dress in costume too no one needs to know they’re actual crownsguard. Just say their weapons are part of the costume, fake, you know?”

Noctis churns the idea over in his head, a faint bubble of excitement growing in the back of his mind. “You think…?”

“Yeah dude!” Prompto bounces. “No one will think twice. Gladio will look really bored but we’ll just say he’s your big brother and we dragged him into it under the guise of picking up fangirls.”

Noctis bites his lip. Security details are never fun but he’s known Gladiolus and Ignis since he was in diapers. They’re closer to his age, share some interests, and regardless they’re already technically qualified to protect him. They’re good company. He could deal with Ignis and Gladiolus babysitting him and Prompto at the expo. Way better option than Cor or Nyx who couldn’t blend in if you body painted them into a wall.

Noctis hands Prompto back his phone and whips out his cell.

He’s chewing his nails while the dial tone rings. His dad has a secretary, no private cell, but Ignis has his own phone and a Prince-is-calling ringtone that ensures Ignis always answers before the second ring.

“Yes Highness?” Ignis greets. “Are you alright?”

“Ahuh, yeah.” Noctis grunts. “I was talking to Prompto. You know the expo? I was thinking—”

“I thought we agreed last year it’s not exactly safe, Noct.”

“Yeah but Prompto made a good point.” Noctis counters, laying out the specifics of Prompto’s plan while his best friend presses against him and the other side of his cellphone to try and eavesdrop. “So, yeah, cosplay. What do you think…?”

Ignis is very quiet for a moment.

Ignis sighs audibly.

“I will need to discuss it with Lord Amicitia and the Marshall.” Ignis begins.

“ _Thank you!_ ” Noctis blurts out, grinning from ear to ear.

“That is not a yes,” Ignis warns and Noctis can practically hear his finger waggling. “We will discuss it. It’s over my head. When is it?”

“Uh…” Noctis lets Prompto shove his phone back under his nose. “Month and a bit? The twelfth?”

“I’ll get back to you.” Ignis assures. “Don’t get your hopes up yet. I doubt the Marshall or Lord Amicitia will like the prospect.”

* * *

Ignis is a little bamboozled. He raises the issue at the tail end of the next council meeting. The Marshall, Lord Amicitia and King Regis are milling about the back of the room, discussing things as old friends do, when Ignis approaches them to explain the situation. They let him talk without interruption and Ignis makes it very clear its not his idea but rather he is asking on behalf of the Prince. He expects the first reaction he receives when Lord Amicitia scoffs and declares;

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” King Regis counters.

That Ignis was not expecting. Evidently no one else expecting it either before Cor and Clarus jerk back at Regis.

“I think it sounds like a wonderful idea,” the King continues. “The boys will have Gladiolus and Ignis, a very capable guard should anything go wrong. We can even pre-warn the venue so the lads can get in with their weaponry on hand.”

“Your Majesty,” Clarus begins in a voice that very clearly has a layer of ‘ _Regis, you absolute raving madman_ ’. “I don’t think this is wise. It’s difficult to assure anything with that many people around and it’s an unnecessary risk too take in the first place.”

“I want Noctis to feel normal sometimes,” King Regis counters, “and occasionally that means doing exciting new things the other kids are doing.”

“With all due respect, your Highness, I think Clarus’ concern is more to do with bullets than self-esteem.” Cor grunts.

“Ignis what’s the other boy’s name, remind me?” King Regis asks.

“Prompto, Highness, we’ve conducted all the necessary background checks on him and his family—”

“Yes, Prompto,” King Regis repeats as if it was on the tip of his tongue. “They are the same age. They go to school together. Prompto’s family are not on my payroll. Prompto is Noctis’ first friend, gentlemen.”

There is a considerable pause and the silence has weight to it. Clarus glances at Cor, Cor shares the look with something unspoken, King Regis watches them both, free hand finding his hip, and groaning loudly Clarus throws his head back;

“ _Oh alright!_ ”

King Regis looks very pleased with himself, grins widely.

Ignis is beside himself.

This was not supposed to happen.

“Fine, fine,” Cor sighs painstakingly, “Ignis you’re going to help me organize the particulars. Clarus can you make sure your son’s available?”

“I suppose,” Clarus huffs, throwing his hands up.

“I think this will be a good thing,” King Regis nods comfortably.

“Next meeting,” Clarus grunts to kill the discussion, “come on Regis, you’ll make us late.”

“Have a good day Ignis,” the King waves him off, “tell Noctis to take lots of photos for me!”

Ignis is left standing there with his jaw threatening to fall slightly agape. He fumbles, gathers up his things, and dismissed from the meeting room makes a beeline to the training grounds. He doesn’t even drop his things at his office first. Ignis is only twenty, Gladiolus is twenty-one, and they may not always see eye to eye but they’re getting closer now Noctis is getting older and they have to learn to work together.

Ignis finds Gladiolus in the training grounds. Nyx Ulric, the war hero, is warping in and out of the upper levels while Gladiolus practices his sword work and chats up one of Nyx’s more buxom companions from the glaive. Ignis clears his throat to draw Gladiolus’ attention and glancing up the Prince’s Shield tilts his head. Ignis cocks his chin frantically for Gladiolus to follow him into a side room and, sighing, Gladiolus sinks his sword into the earth and follows along.

“What’s up Iggy?” Gladiolus grunts, wiping a fine sheen of sweat from his brow with the towel around his neck.

“Noctis,” Ignis begins.

“Duh, it’s always Noctis,” Gladiolus shrugs. “What princess do now? If he failed that fucking midterm, Ignis, I cannot explain to you in words how few shits I give.”

“He wants to go to the pop culture expo.”

“Pft, keep dreaming.”

“King Regis thinks it’s a good idea.”

“My old man will _never_ —”

“He just did.” Ignis explains.

“Sweet fucking Six,” Gladiolus moans. “So, what? We’re sending fifty glaive to take over security for a major public event?”

“No,” Ignis laughs shortly. “You and I are taking Noctis and that Prompto boy to the expo for the Saturday. Undercover.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“We’re going in costume.”

Gladiolus makes a face somewhere between awe, disgust and complete disbelief.

“No.” Gladiolus laughs in the same short tone. “No way.”

“Apparently so.” Ignis counters breathlessly.

“And you’re telling me this because you have some brilliant plan, right Iggy?”

“No such luck, I’m afraid, I am simply telling you because it takes pressure off the stroke I’m currently having.”

“I love my life, I love my job, I love Noct,” Gladiolus tells himself passionately, “but there are some humiliations a man should not be made to endure.”

“I don’t care about the costume,” Ignis wheezes weakly as the full force of the reality hits him, “but I cannot fathom how we are supposed to keep Noct and Prompto out of trouble in an event that last year had forty-thousand attendees.”

“Are we going to be armed?”

“That’s the plan.”

“We’ll just maim any mouth breathers who look at us funny.”

“ _Gladio_ ,” Ignis hisses.

“I’m serious!”

* * *

Noctis is playing video games with Prompto after dinner a few days later when his phone rings. He’s been trained to answer it promptly so pausing their game he picks up the cell and presses it to his ear.

“Hi Ignis.”

“Hi Ignis!” Prompto calls loudly across the couch as he reaches for the chips.

“Evening boys,” Ignis sighs, “I’m calling with updates around your latest plan.”

“Yeah…?” Noctis closes one eye and crosses his fingers in preparation.

“Most of us think it’s an awful idea—”

Noctis slumps.

“—but the King’s cleared it.”

Noctis screams so loud he has to throw his hand over his mouth. Prompto startles right off the edge of his seat and throws his head back with an expectant grin. Noctis nods passionately and punching the air Prompto commences a short victory dance.

“Thanks Iggy!” Noctis tries to contain himself. “Thank you thank you—!”

“Thank King Regis next time you talk,” Ignis snorts. “He’s asked you take photos. I’m sure Prompto can assist?”

“Yep!” Noctis chirps.

“Alright,” Ignis sounds permissive at least, patient. “You, Prompto, Gladio and I will go on the twelfth. We’re all going in costume. I figured you’d want to sort your own particulars so I’ve transferred you a modest budget. Don’t go overboard. Don’t plan anything inappropriate. Make sure Prompto’s parents approve.”

“What are you and Gladio wearing?” Noctis bounces his knee jerkily.

“Noct, as much as I love you,” Ignis warns, “there is no amount of money that could convince me to let you pick our outfits. We’ll get it sorted. You just worry about what you want to wear.”

“Okay, okay.” Noctis laughs breathlessly. “Thanks Ignis.”

“Have you done your homework?”

“Uh…” Noctis glances back to the kitchen table. “Most of it…?”

“I got your latest test scores; you can do better. More studying, less video games. Make sure Prompto gets a lift home tonight and don’t stay up too much longer. It’s getting late.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Noctis snorts but he’s in too good a mood to care. “Night Iggy.”

“Night Noct.”


End file.
